Occupy Syracuse to host Occupy Ball

Syracuse, N.Y. -- While Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner is holding a fundraiser Saturday at the Landmark Theatre for her 2013 re-election campaign, members of Occupy Syracuse plan to hold an event of their own outside the theater.

The Occupy Ball will give protesters a chance to highlight the destructive role of money in politics, organizers said in a news release. They are encouraging the public to attend.

Tickets for the Mayor’s Ball are $1,000 apiece for a private reception with Miner and hors d’oevres and an open bar from 6 to 7 p.m. Or for $250 apiece or $400 per couple, donors can attend the ball from 7 to 11 p.m. with dinner and an open bar.

The Occupy event is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Participants plan to ask people attending the mayor’s event what they hope to buy with their $1,000. The Occupy members will charge 1 cent or a food item — canned or boxed (no meat), bottled sauces, produce, etc.

“We will show Mayor Miner, and politicians everywhere, that the people are their constituency, not just the people with the money to fund their re-election,” the Occupy members said in their news release.